Was your Google Nest doorbell draining its battery faster than usual or just stopped working, even when plugged into the doorbell’s wires? This is because he does not like to be left in the cold. a New support page Published by Google this week, confirms that Google’s latest smart video doorbell, Google Nest Doorbell (Battery)and his Google Nest Cam (Battery)It cannot be charged at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
The update comes in the wake User Complaints in the Google Nest Forum That Nest doorbells have been draining their batteries faster than usual this winter, even when wired the doorbell to keep it charged. Cold weather will also affect the batteries in the new Google Nest Camera. But Google says that if the camera is connected to a wired power source (he sells a weatherproof power adapter for $35) there should be no problems with charging at lower temperatures, as the wire directly powers the camera.
The cause of the doorbell problem depends on a small but important distinction between battery-powered and “real” wired doorbells. Battery-powered doorbells that are wired to the doorbell are not powered by the electrical wiring in your home; The battery is “trickle charged” by power from the doorbell’s wires. If this battery is too cold to hold its charge, it will eventually run out. The same is true if you use a solar panel to keep your Google Nest Cam charged. This lack charges and does not operate the camera directly, so it will run out of juice in the cold, Google says.
While battery-powered cameras (a first in the class from Nest) can operate in temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit, a new Google support page now lists a charging temperature of at least 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The support article states that the battery can still run the device at lower temperatures, but it does not charge and may drain faster. Google warns that at the lowest operating temperature, the battery can have less than half its life in warmer weather.
So what would you do if you bought your doorbell from Nest and lived in a part of the country with near-freezing temperatures? Google says that you should take down the entire doorbell and bring it indoors “to a warm place” to charge it (something you’re likely to do already if it’s not wired up for the doorbell).
If you’re not sure if your device is affected or not, you can check in the Google Home app where the device will say “Charging paused” or “Charging slowly” with a long estimated charging time if the doorbell is too cold.
This isn’t a problem unique to battery-powered Nest cameras. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries struggle in cold weather. his ring Support article on his site It details how doorbell and camera batteries are affected when the temperature drops. However, most Ring cameras have the advantage of removable and exchangeable batteries that are easy to charge indoors.
For those of us in warmer climates, Google says not to worry: Nest Camera batteries can still be charged up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
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